I have some statistical "massagers" written in J that I'd like to wrap in user-friendly "envelopes" for nonprogrammer end-users. The end result can't be much more difficult than double-clicking an icon on the desktop (or using an assigned keystroke to do the same thing)--or something just as easy--and then, say, filling in a textbox or two with some filenames or such.
Since J scripts can't be compiled, I can't create an executable, which would be the easy way. It appears I'll have to use another scripting language (with the characteristics I'm looking for) to call J in some way. I can't ask users to start up J, load a script, and run it--that's too geeky for nongeeks (and they would never use the application!). I know many of you have written successful J applications that are being used commercially, privately, or whatever. How do *you* go about accomplishing what I'm asking? How do you make a J application easily usable by a person "off the street", that is, by nonprogrammers? What tips/advice do you have about writing J apps for the "real" world? (I'm thinking here primarily of a front page that's a GUI, whether it's in J or in another language that calls J.) This is really important to me right now, both because I have some in-house apps that need such an "envelope" and because I need to demonstrate the ease of making user-friendly J apps available in a conference presentation later this spring to a group of computer knowledgeable library staff, many of whom can program. Please, this is not a time to be terse. ;-) Thanks in advance for your advice and insights! Harvey ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
